Study supports low-calorie sweeteners as way to help prevent, manage diabetes

By Alaric DeArment

ATLANTA — Low-calorie sweeteners can be used to prevent and manage Type 2 diabetes, according to a new study.

The study, conducted by a group of researchers at the Baylor College of Medicine and published in the summer 2013 issue of the journal U.S. Endocrinology, examined the role between excess weight gain and management and prevention of Type 2 diabetes from available literature.

The study found that replacing added sugars with low-calorie sweeteners can reduce the rise in blood-glucose levels and aid in controlling weight and that the sweeteners don't affect weight gain because they have no adverse effects on insulin and hormone levels. They also can benefit dental health and be used to manage high blood-sugar in people who don't have Type 2 diabetes.

"This review adds to the growing body of scientific evidence suggesting that low-calorie sweeteners can play an important role in the management of diabetes," Calorie Control Council president Haley Curtis Stevens said; the council is an association of manufacturers of low-calorie, sugar-free, reduced-fat and "light" foods and beverages. "Foods and beverages sweetened with low-calorie sweeteners offer lower-calorie alternatives that can be important tools in the fight against obesity and diabetes."

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